لمّا تَماسَكتِ الدُموعُ

لمّا تَماسَكتِ الدُموعُ

وَتنبّهَ القَلبُ الصَديعُ

وَتنبّهَ القَلبُ الصَديعُ

When the tears were checked,

When my tears were held back

and the shattered heart awoke,

And my aching heart awakened

وَتَناكَرَت هِمَمي لَما

وَتَناكَرَت هِمَمي لَما

يَستامها الخَطبُ الفَظيعُ

يَستامها الخَطبُ الفَظيعُ

and my resolves recoiled at what

And my resolves denied what

the dreadful calamity demanded of them,

The terrible events blamed them for

قالوا الخُضوعُ سياسَةٌ

قالوا الخُضوعُ سياسَةٌ

فليبدُ مِنك لَهُم خُضوعُ

فليبدُ مِنك لَهُم خُضوعُ

they said, “Submission is policy;

They said: Submission is wise politics

so let them see you submit.”

So for them feign submission from yourself

وَأَلَذُّ مِن طَعم الخُضو

وَأَلَذُّ مِن طَعم الخُضو

عِ عَلى فَمي السَمُّ النَقيعُ

عِ عَلى فَمي السَمُّ النَقيعُ

And sweeter than the taste of submission

And sweeter than the taste of submission

in my mouth is deadly poison.

On my mouth is lethal poison

إِن يسلب القَومُ العدى

إِن يسلب القَومُ العدى

مُلكي وتسلمني الجُموعُ

مُلكي وتسلمني الجُموعُ

If the enemy robs me

If the people seize

of my kingdom, and the hosts surrender me,

My rule and I am handed to the masses

القَلبُ بَينَ ضُلوعِه

القَلبُ بَينَ ضُلوعِه

لَم تسلم القَلبَ الضُلوعُ

لَم تسلم القَلبَ الضُلوعُ

the heart remains within its ribs;

The heart within my ribs

the ribs have not surrendered the heart.

My ribs did not hand over the heart

لَم أَستَلَب شرفَ الطبا

لَم أَستَلَب شرفَ الطبا

ع أيسلَبُ الشَرفُ الرَفيعُ

ع أيسلَبُ الشَرفُ الرَفيعُ

I have not been robbed of noble character—

I have not lost the honor of resolve

can lofty honor be taken away?

Can lofty honor be lost?

قَد رُمتُ يَومَ نِزالِهم

قَد رُمتُ يَومَ نِزالِهم

أَلا تُحصّنَني الدُروعُ

أَلا تُحصّنَني الدُروعُ

I sought, on the day I fought them,

I plunged on the day of their battle

that armor should not shield me.

Will not the shields protect me?

وَبَرَزتُ لَيسَ سِوى القَمي

وَبَرَزتُ لَيسَ سِوى القَمي

صِ عَن الحَشى شيءٌ دفوعُ

صِ عَن الحَشى شيءٌ دفوعُ

And I went forth with nothing but my shirt

I went forth with no more than a shirt

to protect my vitals.

To shield my breast—is that not enough?

وَبَذَلتُ نَفسي كَي تَسي

وَبَذَلتُ نَفسي كَي تَسي

لَ إِذا يَسيل بِها النَجيعُ

لَ إِذا يَسيل بِها النَجيعُ

And I offered my soul, that it might flow away

I sacrificed myself so that it would flow

when the blood flowed with it.

When the wounds started gushing

أَجَلي تَأَخَّرَ لَم يَكُن

أَجَلي تَأَخَّرَ لَم يَكُن

بِهَوايَ ذُلّيَ وَالخُشوعُ

بِهَوايَ ذُلّيَ وَالخُشوعُ

My appointed death was delayed; it was not

My death was delayed—it was not

my wish to be humiliated and submissive.

Through my love of degradation and submission

ما سرتُ قَطُّ إِلى القِتا

ما سرتُ قَطُّ إِلى القِتا

ل وَكان مِن أَمَلي الرُجوعُ

ل وَكان مِن أَمَلي الرُجوعُ

Never once did I march into battle

Never have I walked

with any hope of returning.

To battle except with the wish to return

شِيَمُ الألى أَنا مِنهُمُ

شِيَمُ الألى أَنا مِنهُمُ

وَالأَصلُ تَتبَعه الفُروعُ

وَالأَصلُ تَتبَعه الفُروعُ

These are the traits of those to whom I belong;

The traits of glory are mine

and the branches follow the root.

The branches follow the origin